This America of Ours

May 2, 2022
Journalist Schweber (Fly Fishing Yellowstone National Park) delivers a sharp chronicle of the collaboration between conservationist Bernard DeVoto (1897–1955) and his wife and editor, Avis (1904–1989). A prolific writer, Bernard fought to save federal lands during the McCarthy era, publishing an exposé in Harper’s that “exposed and thwarted a secret plot... to force the sell-off of as much as 230 million acres of America’s public lands, including national parks, monuments, forests, and grasslands.” Schweber depicts Bernard’s wife, Avis, as a partner in every way—often among his first readers, she “edited, fact-checked, researched, indexed, answered correspondence, and proofread until her eyes gave out,” (as well, she championed the work of her friend Julia Child, finding her a publisher in 1961 for Mastering the Art of French Cooking). Schweber offers a comprehensive account of the DeVotos’ fight to protect public lands, plus some scathing portrayals of their adversaries, including Nevada senator Patrick McCarran, who withheld appropriations from faltering National Park services and whose “largesse flowed disproportionately to his friends,” and the FBI, who paid visits to the DeVotos’ house due to claims of communism. The result is a fascinating biography, worthy of two remarkable lives. Agent: Farley Chase, Chase Literary.

Starred review from May 15, 2022
A stirring story of a husband and wife and their passionate devotion to the land--and great food. Journalist Schweber makes his book debut with a vigorous dual biography of Pulitzer Prize-winning writer, historian, and crusading conservationist Bernard DeVoto (1897-1955) and his wife, Avis (1904-1989), who was closely involved with his work and, after his death, devoted herself to the rising career of her friend Julia Child. Drawing on abundant archival sources, Schweber argues persuasively that because of the DeVotos' efforts, millions of acres of public lands were saved from destruction and preserved as national treasures. Bernard started his career teaching English at Northwestern, where, in 1922, he met a captivating student: Helen Avis MacVicar. They married in 1923, after her first year. Soon disillusioned with academia, Bernard quit to become a writer. "To express himself and rise in stature, Bernard DeVoto wrote novels, essays, and criticism," writes the author. "To make good money, John August wrote 'tripe' stories for the big slicks." Although his novels were mediocre at best, his nonfiction--focused on the West--earned critical acclaim. Offered a monthly column in Harper's, he turned his attention to the vulnerability of Western land. Growing up in Utah, Bernard saw land "late in the stages of having its vegetative skin grafted off. To boost lumber, beef, and wool production in World War I, logging and grazing regulations were lifted in national forests but then never reinstated in peacetime." Bernard's hard-hitting essays against the land grab by greedy ranchers and politicians ignited sparks. Schweber recounts the virulent political climate created by Nevada Sen. Pat McCarran, a strident anti-conservationist, abetted by Joseph McCarthy. Bernard was one of many caught in their crosshairs, and he was blacklisted by two magazines, investigated by the FBI, and feared imprisonment--yet never stopped lecturing and writing about conservation. After Bernard died, Avis worked as a scout for Knopf, to whom she brought Child's cookbook, a high point in their long, close friendship. An exuberant celebration of an astounding couple.

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